Refrigerator



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REPRIGERATOR- Patented 00 @o Model.)

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ROBERT P. STEEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REFRIGERATO R.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 413,578, dated.Dei-.ober 22, 1889.

Serial No. 234,382i (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT P. STEEL, a citizen of the United States,residing` in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification andaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 of the drawings shows afrontelevation of a refrigerator with a part broken away, just sufcientto disclose my improvement in the rear of the refrigerating-boX. Fig. 2is a cross-section of Fig. 1, taken on line o; x, Fig. l, showing theice-box and my improved drip-trough or conduit. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the drip-trough or conduit. v

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The object of my invention is to supply refrigerators with a novel formof drip-trough for conducting the drip from the ice-box to the drip-panordinarily arranged below the refrigerating-chamber, as shown in Fig. 2;and to this end it consists in a novel apparatus,which is hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Prior to my invention it was customary to allow the drip to fall fromthe ice-box through the refrigerating-chamber into a drip-pan or toconduct it by zigzag shelves back andl forth to the same point, or toallow itto fall upon suspended wires, which broke it into spray, and inthese ways increased evaporation was attained. My invention, however, isan improvement upon all of these devices.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the refrigerator; B, the door tothe ice-box; C D, the doors to the refrigerating chamber or chambers,and E the drip-trough or conduit, of spiral form, as clearly shown inFig. 3. This trough or conduit, which is formed with .a central stem E',has a large spiral evaporating-surface, which extends from the bottom ofthe refrigerator to a point just below the drip-tube attached to thebottom of the icebox, and in such manner that the escaping drip drops onthe spiral surface and is carried down toward the drip-pan. Byincreasing the surface of the drip-pipe, as described, the temperatureof the refrigerating-chamber is lowered, thus utilizing the escapingwater as an additional means for cooling said chamber. The upper end ofthe stem E of the drip-trough is loosely inserted in an opening in aninclined tray located below the iioor of the ice-boX, the said tray andiioor forming the passage H, from which the drip passes into the troughE. The lower end of the stem E is loosely inserted in an opening in thebottom of the refrigerator, and is provided with a supporting-foot E2,which rests on the bottom of the refrigerator on opposite sides of theopening, so that the drip-trough does not come in contact with the wallsof the .said opening, and thereby prevent the escape of an overflow ofthe drip-trough from the chamber through the said opening.

As before indicated, I am aware that it is old in the art to cause thedrip to take a zigzag course through the refrigerating-chamber byallowing it to fall from one to another of a series of inclined troughsuntil it finally reaches the drip-pan, and also to spray the drip byletting it fall on suspended rods or wires in its descent. I am alsoaware that it is not new to bend the pipe in a zigzag or serpentineshape and to provide the same with perforations. I therefore lay noclaim to these features, my invention being in the nature of an improvedapparatus for giving increased evaporation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isy l. In a refrigerator, an ice box orchamber in its upper portion, an inclined tray below said ice-chamberforming a drip-passage between the same and provided with au opening atits lowest end, and a refrigerator-chamber with a spiral drip-trough,having the upper end of the stem inserted in said opening in the trayand its lower end insert-ed in an opening in the refrigerator-chamberfloor, said parts being combined substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. A refrigerator having an ice chamber or box, a tray, and adrip-trough of spiral form with a central stem with prolonged ends, the

ROBERT P. STEEL.

Witnesses:

A. P. JENNINGS, J As. F. KELLY.

